Acing the Creative Application: An Interview With Matthew Epstein of Google

To young individuals looking for an opportunity, Google is Mecca.

Why?

Because Lady Gaga visits, gourmet lunches, and “bowling alleys” make for an almost religious experience. As far as the eye can see, there are countless brilliant engineers and business minds. Additionally, Google’s respected name throughout the world gives credibility to any resume, and promises of skill building and mentorship are always enticing. Individuals flock to Google’s hiring pool.

It therefore comes as no surprise that Google’s HR process is one of the hardest in the world. And though Google prides itself on recruiting only the best, it unfortunately can’t recruit all of the best. It must choose a few among the thousands of talented individuals in the application pool.

So, how can you ensure that you become the next hire?

Just ask Matthew Epstein.

His incredibly impressive website, “Google Please Hire Me,” has exploded to national fame and renown. It’s been featured on TechCrunch, HackerNews, and countless other media outlets. With a very fabulous mustache, Google-branded website design, a great resume, and a hilariously creative video (yes, he’s only wearing boxers. No pants), this hirsute job seeker makes his purpose obvious: he’d like to get hired by Google. And it looks like he’s going to succeed.

I sat down with Matthew to talk about his great website, and how a young job-seeker can stand out in the Google applicant pool-or as we’d like to call it, the Mount Everest of Hiring. It’s not easy being a young and ambitious job seeker, but these tips might make it easier for you!

Q: What were you up to before “Google Please Hire Me?”

A: I was previously working for Infoition. It’s a great company with great guys, and our products were taking off. Everything, in short, was doing well. However I was originally brought on to take something more tech driven, and decided that while I liked working there, I would rather pursue that original tech-oriented direction.

Q: So you began the job search?

A: I updated my resume, got my WayUp profile together, and two days later, I was sending out job application after job application. I applied for jobs for about a week and half. And while I applied just about everywhere, I didn’t get contacted at all. Needless to say, I was REALLY frustrated, and quite discouraged. I knew that I had the necessary skills for those positions!

Q: Why do you think it was difficult to get responses to your resume?

A: Frankly, it’s really hard to say why I didn’t get a response. However, I think it’s due to a mixture of a bad economy, age, and how I appear on paper. Most interns and young professionals have been working for less than 5 years- and therefore I don’t look that experienced on paper.

Additionally, most individuals (previously including myself) submit an application either through LinkedIn or a PDF. Once their application enters that general pool, it’s very hard to differentiate oneself. Connections are instrumental in that differentiation, but young people often don’t have them.

After the frustrating nonresponse, I decided that I was going to create an application that I thought was fun. I wanted something that I could enjoy, fully invest myself into, and knew how to market.

Q: Therefore, what was your thought process behind creating your website? What are some tips for anyone similarly looking to create a great, creative application?

My website was simply a project that I was really excited about-I didn’t have a workflow or timeline while going in. However, I put every effort I had into making it. I spent about 9 hours a day tweaking and building my site, thinking about the message, and paying attention to every individual detail.

While working on a creative application:

1. Attention to detail is vital. Everything must be carefully thought through, and small issues can become large ones!
2. Focus on the messaging, branding, and tone of voice. Everything must be coordinated, and well polished. On my site, you’ll see consistent tone, branding, and themes everywhere-it isn’t an accident!
3. Whatever you’re doing has to be what you’re good at and what you love. You need to be passionate about what you’re applying for; otherwise your application is moot.
4. Everything you do must have a call to action, and every call to action has to be the most prominent thing that you see. On my site, “request an interview” and “view my resume” are larger than any other button that you see there.

Q: How did you decide on the content? How did mustaches come into play, and what made you discard the pants?

A: My reasons for the site were initially selfish: I just wanted to build something because I really liked doing it. And therefore, I allowed myself to be as creative as possible and develop a Google branded site (from the black search bar and all) that featured my personality.

The mustache theme was something that I had been playing with for a while-I actually don’t have a mustache, of course, but I thought it was hilarious. I made the video, and the site as I liked it-and thought others would find it funny too.

Q: You were taking a chance with a creative application (in your boxers, nonetheless). Could this type of thing backfire?

A: Yes. But while making something like this, you must keep in mind what you want to do and who you want to get hired by. As I was applying to Google, I kept in mind that they have a great sense of humor and branded my site accordingly. The job application process is all about fit, and I wanted to find a company that’s right for me as well as show the company that I’m the right fit for them. My site could almost serve, as a “reverse filter” -companies who didn’t get the fact that I was joking would not be a great place for me to work! I tailored my application to a specific audience, and therefore minimized my risk.

Q: Even within that audience, is there a line that you should never cross?

So, I’ve actually been filtering my thoughts-this crazy application is in fact, not crazy to me. The ideas that I did have were not appropriate, and identifying what is and what’s not appropriate comes as a result of really paying attention to detail and scrutinizing every detail of the application. A good benchmark to use is that if you think it’s crossing the line, it generally is.

Q: How did your website and national attention change your hiring prospects? How can someone, a student, repeat that?

A: While the attention was great, it wasn’t the attention that changed the response from HR. It was the website. And in order to create a creative application like my website, you don’t need to make a big production. Making a production is simply my style, but it isn’t necessary to get your dream job. It’s possible to change the lack of response most of us receive from applications with something that’s low key. Yet, my word of caution is that if you’re going to attempt something creative, “go big or go home.” Putting forth a halfhearted effort is worse than no effort at all.

Q: What’s been the response to your application from employers and most importantly, Google itself? 

A: I have been really humbled and honored by the response I’ve received. In addition to calls from thousands of individuals, companies like Microsoft and Amazon, I’ve had about 100 people from Google reach out to me, offering to refer me to HR and send my resume to the right people. Finally, I had a call with Google, and will be in Mountain View for an interview!

Q: You put significant effort into this application for Google-does it matter that some people “just get hired” by the very same company?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how everyone else gets hired. It matters how I get hired.

Nevertheless, some people really just deserve to be hired by these companies, and it shows on paper. They had great internships, wonderful grades, and ticked off all the appropriate boxes. They’re one side of the coin: the other side involves “just folks” who are just as smart, yet haven’t ticked those check boxes. Some of those individuals know the right people who can get them past the first hiring round that other folks don’t get. It’s kind of BS that everyone doesn’t get the same chance to prove themselves.

Therefore, take any chance to prove yourself! Use tools that are within your skill set to stand out of the crowd, and go after the job of your dreams. Don’t overstress the externalities; create something you’re having fun with! 

In the words of Matthew Epstein “Worst thing that’s going to happen is that they say no.“